Chapter 305: Agent Headquarters (2)

“Pallard O’Con. He’s a civil servant who’s been holding onto the Deputy Director position at the Agents.”

Pallard, who had casually shaken Lennok’s hand, naturally turned around and led the two into his office.

Lennok walked behind him, quickly observing the surroundings and Pallard’s actions.

The way he ruffled his disheveled hair and tossed his loosened tie onto a corner of his desk.

It was easy to guess what kind of personality he had.

The sole elite armed force among the city government’s direct intelligence organizations, permitted to intervene and manage the outer districts.

The appearance of the second-in-command, overseeing this massive organization, seemed far more relaxed than Lennok had imagined.

“Listening in, it sounds like you two were having quite an interesting conversation without me.”

Pallard said, leaning back in his office chair as if sprawling out.

“I merely conveyed the necessary information beforehand.”

At Hina’s firm reply, Pallard grinned.

“Why bore someone who’s been waiting? It’s not like the old fogies in the City Council haven’t been testing the waters to lift the Prohibition Edict for days now.”

“……”

“But this time, it’s definitely different. Even if those old geezers are senile, they wouldn’t have directly planned to bring down this city.”

A meaningful tone. Lennok asked about the words he couldn’t simply let pass.

“Do you believe Vulcan could fall if the Defense Force command’s plan succeeds?”

“If bombs rain down on District 30 as they plan, then yes.”

Pallard yawned widely as he replied.

“The breakdown of the tightly spread transportation network in a megacity might not be a huge problem. The real issue is that other cities might intervene, taking advantage of the chaos that spreads to the surface.”

“Intervention from other cities, you say…”

“Because of its sheer size, nothing much has happened yet, but the city government has many enemies.”

For a moment, the smile on Pallard’s lips sharpened.

“And we’ve certainly played our part in that process.”

“……”

Saying so, Pallard subtly raised his head and looked at Lennok.

“The problem is that those old fogies won’t actively try to stop the command’s rebellion. Do you understand what I mean?”

“It means some of the City Council members are willing to accept a certain degree of damage from the coup,” Lennok replied.

“Perhaps they might even be hoping for it.”

“Exactly.”

Pallard snapped his fingers, pointed at Lennok, and jumped up from his seat.

“I called you here because I wanted to know if you understood that prerequisite.”

In Pallard’s eyes, as he spoke, there was a faint hint of killing intent.

“Because if you don’t understand that the City Council isn’t on our side, any further conversation will be meaningless.”

“……”

Lennok silently gulped down the cheap coffee Pallard had casually made and handed him.

The fact that the City Council members weren’t trustworthy allies wasn’t surprising at this point.

Simply by moving through the outer districts of this massive city, it wasn’t hard to realize how diverse and enormous their mistakes and misdeeds were.

“Councilman Meyer accepted solving this matter as a condition to secure a low-ranking seat on the City Council. So I don’t doubt his sincerity,” Pallard said, folding his arms.

Pallard plopped back into his chair, crossing his arms.

“But other councilmen are different. The greater the damage from this incident, the more desperately the Defense Force’s threat impacts the citizens, the more active the discussions to lift the Prohibition Edict will become.”

“They wouldn’t want the entire city to be engulfed in a coup, but a certain degree of damage…”

“You mean they might even be hoping for it.”

At Lennok’s words, Hina and Pallard both nodded simultaneously.

“What’s the possibility of the City Council accepting the Defense Force’s conditions?”

“Very low,” Pallard replied sharply.

“District 13 is the most strictly managed restricted area among all the closed-off districts in this city… The Defense Force general is essentially demanding the City Council’s lifeline. For those old fogies obsessed with self-preservation, it’s a condition they wouldn’t accept even if they died and came back to life.”

A restricted area.

Lennok had heard of its existence, but he never expected to have a point of contact through the Defense Force’s actions.

It must be because there are secrets beyond mere city government convenience, which is why both the Defense Force and the City Council are reacting so sensitively.

Lennok finished the rest of his coffee and then spoke.

“I’ve heard enough of the circumstances, so I’d like to move on to the main point now.”

“The main point, you say.”

“I don’t think a man who’s the Deputy Director of the Agents would call someone just because he’s itching to talk.”

Pallard’s and Lennok’s calm gazes met in the air.

“You set up this meeting because you have something you want from me, to replace Evelyn, don’t you?”

“You’re direct. We civil servants aren’t used to such blunt speech.”

Pallard burst into a hearty laugh.

Lennok chuckled at his words.

“That’s not something a person who was just happily badmouthing the City Council should say.”

“That’s…”

“If the person in charge of this matter, which wouldn’t be strange even if the entire Agents force was mobilized, is the Deputy Director and not the Director, then you must have your own circumstances.”

“……”

“But that’s none of my business.”

Saying so, Lennok put down his coffee cup and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

“I’m not interested in the Agents’ internal factional disputes. What’s important is what plan you’ve made for this matter.”

Lennok could guess that Pallard O’Con had taken over some of Meyer’s duties.

Since Meyer had promised sufficient compensation and privileges, there was no need to quibble over rewards for the tasks they presented now.

However, exactly what picture the Agents were drawing was something Lennok absolutely needed to hear.

If they had directly called in an external consultant, someone with whom they had no particular connection besides Evelyn until now, it ultimately meant—

They needed to fill the void of power that Evelyn had been responsible for.

“……Remarkable. You’re right.”

Pallard, who had been silent listening to Lennok’s thoughts, slowly nodded.

“The mobile fortress assault operation, which Team Leader Marcia should have originally carried out. I want to entrust its core to you.”

“……”

“But you and she, who took on difficult tasks out of responsibility and goodwill, are clearly different people. That’s why I needed to accurately gauge your intentions. No matter how enormous the reward, not many people would readily accept a request to confront a moving fortress.”

“Keep talking.”

“……Furthermore, a request for cooperation in the countless armed conflicts that will occur during that process is not an easy thing to bring up. That’s what I’m curious about.”

Pallard poured freshly brewed coffee into Lennok’s empty cup and asked.

“The lives of over 20 million people residing in District 30. Are you willing to step forward to save them, even if it means risking failure and sacrifice?”

“……”

“A sense of justice and a sense of responsibility are just a hair’s breadth apart. However, no matter how great the reward, not many people can sacrifice their lives out of responsibility.”

Pallard’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“But for one’s own sense of justice, one might sacrifice everything. Evelyn Marcia was such a person.”

“Deputy Director.”

Hina called out to Pallard from beside him, but he didn’t stop.

“That’s why I’m expecting something similar from you, whom Team Leader Marcia cherished so much. We are in such a desperate situation right now.”

He spoke slowly, as if catching his breath, and asked.

“May I ask if something similar lives and breathes within your heart?”

“No.”

Lennok replied indifferently.

“I’m sorry, but I have no connection to such noble sentiments.”

“…”

“But I generally understand what I need to do.”

The lives of people, the order and well-being of the city. He didn’t recall ever caring much about such things.

It had been quite a while since he escaped the days of living hand-to-mouth, but that didn’t mean Lennok’s own perspective had changed.

The landscape Lennok saw remained unchanged.

Faced with a future that couldn’t be guaranteed and a reality where no assurances were possible, he had tried to grasp many other things rather than the safety of strangers.

He thought he hadn’t stopped for a single moment, yet he still felt it wasn’t enough.

But in this chaotic city, if there was one thing that didn’t need a reason to be pursued, it was this:

“I can’t just leave alone the guys who are interfering with my business.”

“……It’s settled then.”

Pallard nodded.

“Then let’s proceed directly to the operation briefing.”

After Lennok accepted the Agents’ proposal, things moved quickly.

Pallard still seemed to have no grasp of Lennok’s business or its specific intricacies, but it wasn’t a major issue.

The only important thing was that, for this matter, he was willing to fill Evelyn’s void.

It was an agreement that he could provide additional force not just by cooperating with Councilman Meyer, but also during the Agents’ handover process.

After exchanging information they both knew, Pallard spoke.

“There are three things we need to do.”

He raised a hand and folded down his fingers one by one as he spoke.

“Locating the Defense Force’s intelligence units hidden within the city. Neutralizing the mobile fortress and the command’s generals. And finally, countering any intervention from Gearsight’s forces.”

“Since Van is aware of the Gearsight-related information, this conversation will go quickly.”

It seemed that the Agents, including Meyer, had already traced Gearsight’s existence by investigating the captured operatives.

“Among those, the first thing we must deal with is eradicating the Defense Force’s intelligence units.”

“So, we can only move to neutralize the fortress after thoroughly dealing with internal matters?”

“The Agents’ intelligence department is cooperating with Councilman Meyer’s operations team to pattern the appearance points of Defense Force ambush units and create a movement prediction algorithm,” Hina said.

“The personnel and programs required for operational support will be ready in approximately 30 hours.”

“Councilman Meyer’s side has also agreed to compile the personnel with whom negotiations have concluded beforehand and hand over their list to us.”

Had he sought out things he could do even when unable to move directly and requested cooperation from the Agents?

“All necessary preparations will be complete around dawn the day after tomorrow, and we can commence the operation. That leaves us with ten days.”

Pallard pressed his forehead with one hand and said firmly.

“Within ten days, we’ll clear out the Defense Force’s special forces and bring the mobile fortress to a halt. That’s all we have to do.”

“Alright.”

Lennok nodded and immediately stood up from his seat.

He understood why the Agents had called him.

The top priority was to predict the movement of the Defense Force’s special forces and deal with those who appeared to secure data.

If the operation could start at dawn the day after tomorrow at the earliest, there would be enough time to prepare before then.

But Pallard stopped Lennok as he was about to leave.

“Hold on a moment, if you’re not in a hurry, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“All available field agents will be deployed for this operation. Most of them have mission experience, but few have faced an opponent as skilled as you.”

Pallard said.

“For their sake, I’d like to conduct a mock training before the operation begins. I think it would also be a valuable experience for you, fighting in urban combat against multiple opponents. What do you say?”

“Seems like a waste of time.”

Lennok replied.

“There are too many variables for a single training session to be helpful. It would be fortunate if they don’t get injured and reduce their combat strength for nothing.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

“……What?”

Pallard slapped his palms together, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

“Didn’t I say all agents? This situation is difficult. I need a proper pretext to pull some forces aside.”

“……I see.”

Lennok instantly understood Pallard’s intention and chuckled.

“Mobilizing all agents for the operation isn’t your intention at all?”

“While you clear out the Defense Force’s intelligence units, we Agents plan to wait in the vicinity of District 13 and monitor the situation.”

Pallard’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“If the intelligence units’ forces are cornered, they’ll start reacting in other ways. There’s a high probability that their target will be District 13, their objective.”

“……”

“This isn’t a one-off operation. If we play this right, we can thoroughly identify and draw out the hidden forces behind the Defense Force. And that will be an important clue for the upcoming mobile fortress assault operation.”

Instead of achieving three separate objectives in different ways, the intention was to extract all clues for the next operation while conducting the current one.

A resolute will to find efficient methods, even if it meant disregarding the City Council’s oversight if necessary.

Lennok vaguely sensed how Pallard O’Con viewed this matter from various angles and perspectives.

But Lennok still shook his head after hearing that.

“I don’t have much time. Find someone else. There’s no real reason to use me as an excuse, is there?”

“The excuse we give to those old fogies in the City Council needs to be airtight. If it’s you, who’s been involved in this from the start, even those suspicious old men won’t say anything.”

“Hmm…”

Still, he wasn’t really inclined.

Even if it was just a matter of pretext, wasting time and mana on something like this without any compensation…

“I figured as much, so I snagged a pretty good item from the Director’s safe.”

Seeing Lennok’s unenthusiastic expression, Pallard immediately pulled something out from his office desk.

“It might not be particularly useful for someone as skilled as you, but it would be a great help if you gave it to your acquaintances. Is the compensation still insufficient?”

“……No.”

Lennok shook his head.

“That’s more than enough.”

The item in Pallard’s hand was five pencils densely inscribed with spell formulas.

To request the mock training from Lennok, he had brought none other than Enakphil’s five fingers as compensation.

“Are you sure about this?”

The mock training ground set up in the basement of the Agents’ building.

In the vast cavern, an entire urban area was recreated, so realistic that it was hard to believe it was underground.

Hina and Pallard watched Lennok, who had descended to the training ground below, from the control room.

“About what?”

“If you get caught freely using the Director’s belongings, there’ll be quite the backlash.”

“And here I thought you were going to say something important.”

Pallard snorted at Hina’s words.

“That woman has no interest in Agent work anymore. She’s so engrossed in the loophole she’s dug for herself that she doesn’t even come to work. Do you think she’d even remember if something went missing?”

“Well, that’s…”

“I’m just leaving her be because she’s a convenient shield. The department heads and I already settled this a long time ago. It seems you haven’t received a proper handover yet.”

“Because I’ve been moving around so many departments…”

Pallard, who had been looking down at Hina as her voice trailed off, subtly shifted his gaze.

“I understand you want to be out in the field, but if you can’t manage your own condition, it’s about time you made up your mind.”

“…”

Hina didn’t answer, but Pallard didn’t force a reply from her.

Despite having the weakness of poor stamina and difficulty moving for long periods due to a congenital illness, her swordsmanship and combat prowess were considerable.

Not only that, but her position within this organization was quite unique, as she had consistently pulled her weight in every department and built connections with various superiors within the Agents.

Many departments wanted her, a capable agent who balanced both combat power and intelligence.

The problem was that Hina herself strongly preferred the work of the field force response team directly managed by Evelyn.

Her attitude of not settling for comfort and actively seeking out work was commendable, but if her environment and aptitude didn’t support it, she also needed to know when to give up.

But instead of offering such obvious advice, Pallard turned his gaze to the training ground below.

“Looks like he’s ready.”

At a crosswalk in the artificially constructed urban area below.

Lennok, leaning against an old traffic light and lighting a cigarette, was slowly getting to his feet.

Pallard watched Lennok, a peculiar smile playing on his lips.

“He’s said to be by far the most uniquely talented wizard in this city. Let’s just confirm his abilities.”

He hadn’t just rummaged through the Director’s vault to assign Lennok this task.

To accurately design future operations, he needed to personally verify and assess the true extent of this wizard’s abilities, as he was to be the key to this operation.

Pallard had simply requested this in a more refined manner, considering his relationship with Lennok and Evelyn.

“It won’t be easy.”

Hina replied with a slightly weary expression.

“At least among the people I know, no one has managed to do that.”